The International Independent Academy for Geniuses and Prodigies (AU)
by ipodindigo
Summary: Alfred, a teenage genius, is ready for his final year at the Academy- until his boyfriend breaks up with him, leaving him crushed. But when a new kid arrives, Alfred learns that maybe his year won't be so awful after all.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hey, this is my first fanfiction, so any reviews or constructive criticism/tips would be helpful and much appreciated! Thanks, I hope you enjoy!**_

"Dude, watch out!" Alfred warned as he tossed Matthew's backpack in what he hoped was his general direction, too busy to look up from the physics journal he was reading. It landed with a muffled thump, at which point Alfred's brother looked up in agitation.

"My laptop is in there, and I swear to god if you break it and I have to reprogram that entire new sequence...", he threatened.

"Man, calm down, your laptop is practically indestructible. The school made sure of that; they don't wanna lose any of your oh so _precious_ work." Alfred snickered in response. Matthew shook his head, but he didn't deny it. He was one of the best programmers in not only his high school, but practically the entire continent, and Alfred wouldn't dare throw his backpack if he thought his work would actually be damaged.

From across their dorm room, Alfred sighed and pushed away the research studies he had been reading. "Okay, I guess I better go put nicer clothes on... Ludwig said he needed to talk to me, so we're going out to dinner..." The American glanced down at his ripped jeans and slightly stained T-Shirt, as if questioning why exactly his messy clothes were not appropriate for a five-star restaurant.

"You nervous?" Matthew asked, glancing up from his latest project. "You did say Ludwig has been acting strange lately."

"Yeah, but I'm sure it's just nerves. His guider has been giving him a rough time lately, and anyways I'm sure an evening out with his super-mega-foxy-awesome-hot boyfriend will cheer him up." Alfred grinned and struck a pose in the middle of the room, one hand on his hip and other in the air, then proceeded to catwalk over to his twin's bed and plop down right on top of his pile of computer science books, toppling the orderly stacks and almost knocking the laptop off the bed (again). Matthew released an inhuman squawk and flailed to protect his computer, while Alfred fell to the floor on his ass, doubling over with laughter, his shoulders heaving and his blue eyes sparkling.

Matthew huffed, the said, "Go shower, I thought you said you had to meet Ludwig!"

"Oh yeah!" With that, Alfred's grin only grew wider, but this time out of excitement rather than amusement. He really was curious as to what Ludwig wanted to talk about. Maybe his project was going to need him to move out of the school and he wanted Alfred to come with him! Or maybe he wanted to use their sick days for an oh so romantic vacation! With ideas whizzing through his mind, Alfred quickly showered, dressed in a simple blue dress shirt and black pants (Ludwig once said the shirt brought out his eyes, and hey, if you got it, flaunt it) then raced down the carpeted and well-lit hallway of his housing residence.

He and Matthew (and about 25 other students) attended a prestigious boarding school in Berlin, Germany. Technically it was a high school, but it accepted students from _any_ age up to 18, and the work was usually far beyond college, or even graduate level learning. The school was officially called the International Independent Academy for Geniuses and Prodigies, but the students usually fondly referred it to as "hell". Of course, never in front of the staff, and never with any real seriousness. Yes, the work was hard, but they were geniuses, for god's sake! They could handle it!

The focus of the school was, according to the handbook, to "provide exceedingly intelligent young men" with the instruction they needed "to reach their potential" and "excel beyond the existing limits of math, science, engineering, and the arts". For their first year, students would be introduced to a wide variety of topics. Then, they would choose an area of study and be given a "guider", someone to oversee their own personal research, or their learning and education in their chosen field. Anonymity was impossible for any of the students, seeing as the school had discovered most of them only after they had made their genius known, often on an international level, but many of the people who saw or recognized them in the surrounding areas and the city of Berlin chose to ignore them, usually because they were intimidated.

For this reason, Alfred was able to quickly and discreetly make his way to the heart of Berlin. He felt a little out of place riding the U-Bahn in his nice clothes, and no matter how confident he had tried to seem in front of his brother, he really was very nervous about what Ludwig wanted to say to him. He felt his stomach tighten with nerves, and the faintest hint of nausea began to creep up into his throat. Fidgeting and smoothing down first his hair, then his shirt, Alfred finally opened the door to the restaurant.

He managed to relax a little when he saw Ludwig, wearing a black suit and dark blue shirt that perfectly highlighted his eyes and light hair. Alfred almost had to take a moment to absorb the absolute perfection that was Ludwig, and he had to quickly pinch himself, muttering to himself, "no, you are not a teenage girl, snap out of it!"

With that, he marched right over to where his (his!) boyfriend stood waiting and wrapped his arms around him from behind, murmuring in his ear, "Hey babe, didja miss me?" However, instead of twisting around to provide a (usually, but not always) chaste kiss to his boyfriend's as he usually did, Ludwig instead pulled away before turning around and placing his hand on Alfred's shoulder. While Ludwig wasn't a huge fan of PDA, even he knew that Alfred needed affection, and was always willing to at least provide a peck on the cheek. Alfred felt his stomach tighten even more. Something was definitely wrong. "Babe? I mean- Ludwig? Is everything okay?" Ludwig frowned, and Alfred wanted nothing more than the smooth out the little wrinkle between his eyebrows with the pad of his thumb, but something about the look in his boyfriend's eye and the whole situation he was in stopped him.

Ludwig sighed, then gestured to the table next to them before saying "Why don't we sit down?"

"No. I- If- I mean… If there's something you need to tell me, just tell me now… Please?" At this point Alfred was starting to feel a little desperate. He was pretty sure he knew the next words that were going to leave Ludwig's mouth, and he was terrified. Ludwig wasn't his first boyfriend, not by any means, but he was the first one to say that he loved him, he was the first one he did… _that_… with… He couldn't bear to have Ludwig leave him now.

"Alfred… We've been dating for over a year now, and you should know I care about you, but…" Ludwig finally raised his eyes to meet Alfred's, and Alfred felt himself unable to look away. Ludwig took a deep breath, then continued, "But I believe it would be best if we ended our relationship."

Alfred, in his infinite understanding of human anatomy and knowledge on the likelihood of a heart attack at his age, still would have sworn in that moment that he felt his heart stop. The words he wanted the least were the ones he was forced to accept, and he didn't know what the worse. The words themselves, or the cold, calculated way in which his boyfriend- no, ex-boyfriend- was delivering them. How many times had Ludwig told him he was the only one he felt comfortable around? That Alfred was the only one who could pull him out of his shell, could open him up; that Ludwig loved his enthusiasm and affection, and that it was only when he was around Alfred that he could truly be himself? And yet here he was, retreating right back into his stoic, unresponsive shell.

"Alfred, I am very sorry. I hope we are able to remain friends, and that…" Alfred didn't hear anything beyond that; his mind was too full of memories of the two of them. Yes, they were only 17, but some part of him had hoped they would be together forever. They may have been near opposites, but they fit together so well, everyone thought so…

"Fine", he said, getting defensive, then shouldering past Ludwig. Alfred heard him call after him, but refused to allow himself to turn around, finally broking into a run after exiting the restaurant. He didn't want Ludwig- or anyone for that matter- to see him cry, but as he sat hunched over in the U-Bahn on his way back to the Academy, he couldn't stop a few tears from escaping, the salt staining his fancy shirt.

Many people thought geniuses, as a side effect of their intelligence, cared only about themselves, and that they were incapable of connecting to others or being interested in anything other than their work. Alfred wanted to offer himself up as the example to prove them all wrong. Because if he didn't fucking care, why would he be allowing himself to cry in front of complete strangers in the middle of the U-Bahn, while the people around him gave him looks alternating between concerned and scared? Why would he have gone out with Ludwig in the first place, just to have his heart ripped out and stomped on?

All Alfred wanted to do was go home and sleep. He prayed to whatever deities might exist (although he had stopped believing after he had decided to devote his life to science) that his brother was asleep, because he really didn't want to see that look of pity he knew would be in Matthew's eye, and he didn't want to feel that sense of pure, annoying_ niceness _that he would be exposed to. But maybe more than that, he didn't want to be reminded of his twin's oh so perfect relationship with Gilbert. Thankfully, Matthew had fallen asleep in front of his computer again, so Alfred was able to fall into bed, sniffling, not even caring about changing his clothes or the state he was in, and he fell slowly into a fitful sleep, plagued by dreams of Ludwig.


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, here is chapter 2! I just would like to say this is most definitely NOT going to be a oneshot seeing as Ivan, the other main character, probably won't be introduced until the next chapter. Also, I do have more plans for Ludwig that go further into his side of the story. For the record, Lukas is Norway, Matthias is Denmark, and Lars is Netherlands. Anyways, enjoy! (Especially the DenNed, one of my favorite pairings- I couldn't resist throwing them in there.)**

**Reviews are always appreciated, as well as any comments, constructive criticism, suggestions, and tips. Thanks for reading!**

When Alfred awoke the next morning to the warm sun streaming in through his window, dappling the white sheets with yellow light, it was hard to believe that the night before could have been so awful. His first thoughts were that he needed to text Ludwig good morning, a habit they had gotten into during their year of dating, but then he remembered that a mere 12 hours ago the German had gone from being the love of his life to- _nothing._ Alfred couldn't bring himself to think ex-boyfriend without wincing, willing his eyes not to well up with tears.

It was only when Alfred began to sniffle that Matthew turned around from his desk on the opposite side of the room and took a good look at his brother. That look was quickly followed by a gasp and an, "Oh my goodness, what in the name of all things hockey happened to you?" (Matthew had sworn to stop cursing two months ago when he decided that Gilbert cursed enough for the both of them, and so far he was succeeding). Alfred only sniffled again then flipped over, the sheets twisting around his torso. Matthew knew something was seriously wrong as soon as his twin turned his back to him since it was something he never did, so he carefully got up from in the middle of his piles of different transcripts and notebooks and crept over to his twin's bed.

Poke. "Alfred? …Alfie?" Alfred only grunted in response to the first, but upon hearing his brother's nickname for him, he finally turned around. Alfred scrubbed the fresh tears from his eyes, then mumbled "…Ludwig broke up with me…" At this, Matthew began to splutter, his mouth and brain working frantically to come up with something that was simultaneously short enough to maintain Alfred's limited attention span, yet also contained all the proper brotherly responses demanded of the situation, such as sympathy, compassion, and understanding, as well as a possible threat of bodily harm to whomever had caused his brother to cry. He finally settled for a, "WHAT!?" He really was shocked; Ludwig and Alfred had looked so happy only a few weeks before!

"I knooooow!" Alfred wailed, all attempts to remain calm and stop the tears from escaping his eyes finally abandoned. He looked so small and childlike that Matthew couldn't help but feel sorry for him; he knew how much Alfred had cared for Ludwig. The German genius was the first person that his brother had really opened up to and allowed fully into his life, and now he had rejected him. "Why am I always the one who gets dumped", Alfred mumbled into his pillow, scrunching the covers on his bed with his fist.

"Well….", Matthew began. Even though all of his "good brother" senses were screaming at him not too, he couldn't help but answer the question. "I mean, with Lukas, he broke up with you because it turns out he wasn't really gay and he was just using you to try and piss of his parents… I guess you and Kiku had to break up because he went back to Japan with that Greek guy who slept too much. And when you and Matthias dated- which, by the way, incredibly creepy that you went out with someone whose name was so similar to mine- he broke up with you because you cheated on him with that Swedish guy, Ber-something or other. Also not cool that you hooked up with a guy that was in a relationship, while YOU were also in a relationship… And then when Gilbert turned you down, it was because-"

At this point Alfred cut in saying, "Dude, that was rhetorical, and you're only making me feel worse… And I only asked Gilbert out 'cause I didn't know you liked him! Besides, I thought you were supposed to be comforting me! I'm the one with my heart constantly torn to shreds, while you date one guy and everything turns out perfectly…", Alfred grumbled. Matthew sighed, saying, "Gilbert and I's relationship is not perfect. But I am sorr-"

Whatever Matthew was going to say was immediately cut off by the sound of their dorm room door being yanked open then slammed shut again, and the loud cry of "BIRDIE". He turned around just in time to see the red, white, and black blurred object that was Gilbert running towards him before he was knocked onto his back onto the carpet, glasses going askew with the force of the fall, and Alfred screeching, "pleaseinthenameofallthingsho lythatmayormaynotexistsparem ylifeI'mtooyoungtodiepleasedon'tkillmewhateveryouareyoumons ter" while flailing backwards into his bed, this time kicking the sheets off completely before he managed to catch his breath and realize that no, a monster or zombie had not just attacked his brother. Well, at least not _ferociously_. Until you counted intensely making out as ferocious.

"Matthew! Matt! Dude! Seriously, you're supposed to be paying attention to meee…" Matthew didn't even have to shove Gilbert off, because as soon as his boyfriend heard the tremble in his twin's voice, he too knew something was wrong and jumped up.

"Jesus fuckin' Christ man, what the fuck happened to _you_?" he proclaimed as soon as he saw Alfred's blotchy, flushed face. Alfred buried his head in the mattress in response, so Matthew answered for him, saying, "Ludwig broke up with him last night." Gilbert snorted, responding, "I never did like that bastard."

It was surprising really, that even though the two teenagers were from the same country and spoke the same language, they never seemed to get along. Matthew thought that perhaps it was because their similarities in origin only helped to emphasize their extreme differences in personality. Of course, it could also be because the first day Ludwig arrived at the Academy, Gilbert managed to embarrass him in front of not only the entire school, but also half the town.

Ludwig had once said to Alfred, "If you brother ends up marrying that ridiculous albino, it's going to be torture sitting through Thanksgiving and Christmas with your family." Despite the insult to his brother's boyfriend, the comment had given Alfred a bubbly, happy sensation because it also implied that Ludwig wanted to be around for holidays with his family, and maybe if he was implying he was going to be around he was also implying that he and Alfred would also one day get married, and then they could live happily ever after just like those Disney movies with the princesses or whatever…

And then Alfred had to remind himself that he and Ludwig were never going to get married, they were never going to live happily ever after, and he was never going to get to spend Christmas or Thanksgiving with him ever again.

Gilbert proved to be of little help to Alfred, only shouting, "Why don't you read about your particle death research thingy", before grabbing Matthew and dragging him off to do god-knows-what in god-knows-where. Probably to make out even more. Alfred only mumbled "you mean alpha decay" after them, before deciding to resign himself to the fact that he was going to be single forever, and spent the rest of the day sleeping.

The night, however, was not to be wasted. Alfred chose to take the priceless opportunity to wallow in his misery while getting flat out drunk by finding one of the cheapest bars in Berlin, and then drinking in it for three hours. It wasn't until he was on his tenth (eleventh? He had lost count) drink that he recognized a familiar head of blond hair sitting on the other side of the room. It wasn't, however, Ludwig. It was Matthias, the boyfriend Alfred had not so kindly screwed over by cheating on him a year and a half ago. Unfortunately, in his intoxicated state, Alfred failed to remember this, and made his way over to his ex as quickly as one possibly could when they were as smashed as he was.

"Matth- Matthiassssss!" Alfred crooned as he staggered towards the Dane. "Matthias, didja miss me?" He threw his arms around the taller one's neck, beaming up at him, completely oblivious to the glares he was receiving from the other teen next to them. Fortunately, Matthias was the not the kind to hold grudges, and, chuckling, his carefully removed Alfred's hands from where they had started to tangle themselves in his hair. When Alfred tried to kiss him instead, he smoothly sidestepped, maintaining at least 12 inches distance between them.

"Alfred, you are very drunk. And you should know that if I am telling you that you are drunk, then you should believe it," the Dane said, a beaming smile never leaving his face. It was true that he was known for his excessive drinking, especially beer, but no one cared as long he was above the legal age for alcohol and his work in particle physics continued to be unparalleled. Alfred, however, could only grin and try to worm his way closer to Matthias. Finally, his ex sighed, and whispered to his companion Lars, who Alfred had yet to recognize, "I had better take him back to his dorm. I don't want him to get hurt wandering the streets of Berlin all by himself."

Lars somehow managed to raise his eyebrow _and_ keep a completely deadpan look on his face at the same time while saying, "Imagine that- you being the mature one for once" then taking another sip of his beer. Matthias only laughed and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before pulling the plastered American out of the bar, shouting over his shoulder, "Love you babe, see you soon!" Lars would go to his grave before admitting to the blush that spread across his face at that comment, choosing instead to mutter darkly into his drink.

By the time Matthias had walked, or rather, carried, Alfred back to his dorm, he had calmed down a bit and the alcohol had started to wear off. He was very glad to see that his brother wasn't in, which probably meant he was staying the night with Gilbert and Alfred could have the room all to himself. He puked once in the toilet, leading Matthias to laugh again (did he really find everything funny? It seemed the answer was yes) before he was pushed into bed. The last thing he remembered was Matthias's voice whispering, "I'm sorry about Ludwig" and the faintest conviction that perhaps he should never go drinking again, before he passed out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, you all have permission to yell at me for the lateness of this update I am so sorry! I've been really busy; they aren't lying when they say junior year is the hardest. We came back from break and it was just like BAM look at all this homework and then BAM look midterms you better study your ass off and now it's BAM you better be studying for AP tests. :/ So I apologize again for the lateness of this. From now on I should be able to update at least every other week. **

**But anyways, here it is, the new chapter! Russia finally makes his appearance, and the plot thickens! (Also sorry about some of Alfred's past actions- I really don't like perfect characters and I didn't want Alfred to be perfect either. He's done some things he's not proud of.) SORRY FOR THE AWKWARD ENDING I'M SO BAD WITH ENDINGS.**

**Please review/read/follow all that, I love getting feedback (whether it be positive or constructive criticism). Enjoy!**

Alfred woke up the late next morning with a throbbing headache and mouth that felt very akin to the Sahara desert. "I'm never drinking again", he thought to himself before stumbling out of bed. It was a little past nine meaning he could still make the school's mandatory Sunday morning meeting if he hurried, so he made his way to shower as quickly as he could without tripping over anything, only stopping to down two ibuprofens to numb the throbbing behind his temples. The warm water helped to clear his head a bit and coffee gave him a much-needed dose of caffeine, meaning that by the time he arrived at the auditorium his headache had downgraded from feeling like a jackhammer against his skull to just the hammer part.

Alfred paused before entering, his hand resting on the old, heavy, wooden door. It would be the first time he would have to see Ludwig since their breakup Friday night, and he wasn't sure he would be able to handle it. Slinking in to avoid anyone seeing him, he found a seat near the back with his brother, who was giggling and whispering in Gilbert's ear. Alfred tried to forget how he would usually run up to the front where Ludwig always sat, and how Ludwig's mouth would always curve into a soft smile once he had turned and realized his boyfriend was next to him. Suppressing his memories, Alfred slumped further into his seat and attempted to ignore the whispers and laughter of Gil and Matt coming from beside him.

It was at the same time that the principal began to talk about the upcoming field trip to the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland that Alfred caught himself staring at the back of Ludwig's head. For the tenth time. He sighed and leaned forward to rest his head on the cool back of the seat in front of him, only to turn his head when he felt a heavy weight drop into the seat next to him. It was Lars, staring straight ahead, obviously pretending to watch the head of the school. Really, Alfred thought to himself, he should have been able to tell who it was without looking; the smell of weed and cigarette smoke followed Lars wherever he went. What Alfred couldn't tell was what Lars wanted. Until he spoke.

"I want you to leave Matthias alone."

If Alfred hadn't been paying attention, he might have missed it. Even so, he wasn't sure if he had heard properly since Lars was still facing forward and acting as though he hadn't said anything at all.

"What?"

"I said leave Matthias alone. Don't hit on him again; in fact, don't come near him."

"The fuck, man? Matthias and I are friends!" Alfred whispered.

"Friends?" Netherlands scoffed then turned so that his green eyes bored right into Alfred's. "You treat him like shit. You went out with him, made him fall in love with you, and then cheated on him. He cried for a month and I was the one there to help him, not you. So don't think that just because he is kind enough to forgive you that I will be."

Alfred opened his mouth, then closed it again. His face heated up a bit, his cheeks tinted red partly out of embarrassment, but mostly out of shame. He usually tried to forget about when he had dated the Dane. Matthias had honestly cared about him, but Alfred had been too self-absorbed and narcissistic at the time to see it. Instead, he had cheated on his then-boyfriend with Berwald, a tall Swedish guy he had roomed with before Matthew had also been recruited for the Academy.

By now, any of Lars pretenses of actually paying attention to the announcements had disappeared; he was directly facing Alfred, glaring at him unblinkingly. Alfred tried to stutter an apology, but nothing seemed to want to escape his mouth. Finally he gave up and just said, "Aren't you guys… dating now?"

This time it was Lars who flushed, but even with his face tinted pink he managed to say authoritatively, "yes, but that doesn't mean you still can't fuck him up." And then all hint of a blush disappeared, as he leaned over to hiss in Alfred's ear, "Flirt with him again, try to kiss him again, make him cry again, and you will wish. you. hadn't." With that Lars stood up, all emotion gone from his face, then ran a hand through his spiked hair, pulled a cigarette from the pack in his pocket, and strode out the auditorium doors.

Alfred banged his head on the seat in front of him again. He couldn't deal with this. Next to him Matt and Gilbert sat staring with their mouths hanging open. "Holy shit, dude", Gilbert said, poking Alfred in the side. "What the fuck did you do?" Alfred only groaned in response. He needed to get out of the stifling auditorium and clear his head, but the principal was still talking and Alfred did not want to walk out only to stumble into Lars again.

"Finally, everyone, I would like to welcome a new student today." He gestured to somewhere offstage, and out walked a teenage boy in a grey overcoat and tan scarf. To Alfred he seemed like one of the strangest guys he had ever seen- his hair was pale and blondish grey, though not silvery white like Gilbert's, and his eyes appeared to be purple from a distance. He was also extremely tall, and very easy on the eyes.

"Man, new kid's hot," Gilbert whispered, earning a smack and a glare from Matthew. But Alfred had to agree. Not as attractive as Ludwig of course, but…

"His name is Ivan Braginsky and he is here from Russia. Due to his age he will be permitted to skip the usually mandatory year of general study, and will be starting right in on the topic of his choice. I hope you will all welcome him to our school and show him around. Thank you, that is all for the announcements this morning, you are dismissed."

The teenagers in the auditorium all slowly stood up, some stretching. The Russian boy, Ivan, slowly walked off the stage and into the crowd. He seemed unsure of where he what he was doing and hesitated near the beginning of one of the aisles, hands tangling in his scarf. For a second Alfred considered going to help him, but then his eyes zeroed in on Ludwig.

Seeing Ludwig had been Alfred's biggest fear all morning. He didn't want to see him happy and perfectly okay while Alfred felt like crying, and he didn't need the reminder that they were no longer together, that Alfred could no longer expect good morning and goodnight texts or even just the feeling that there was someone in the world who cared about him, not because he was family or because he had known the other person for a long time, but because they actually 100% were interested in him, with all of his failings and flaws.

But instead of a happy and unaffected Ludwig, the German looked even worse off than Alfred himself. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy and had bags under them; he looked like he had been crying for hours, just like Alfred had been the day before. He hadn't even taken the time to slick back him hair or iron the shirt and slacks he always wore, even on weekends. Ludwig looked like shit. Alfred's eyes widened in shock, and he nervously fiddled with the hem of his T-Shirt before deciding that together or not, he needed to do something.

He didn't even realize he had been walking until he stood almost directly in front of Ludwig, two pairs of blue eyes staring warily but intently at each other. Alfred's hand twitched; he had almost reached up to smooth back the other's hair from his forehead before he caught himself in time, but he couldn't avoid at least saying, "Ludwig… Are you alright?"

With those words the trance between broke and the softness and pain that had begun to show its self on Ludwig's face snapped back to blank composure. Without even saying a word, he pushed past Alfred, shouldering him out of the way, and marched out of the room, leaving the American with one hand partly outstretched and lips parted questioningly.

"Well that's just terrible", came a voice from next to him. From the accent he could tell it was Arthur; he and Alfred had been friends for 6 years, ever since Arthur had joined the Academy when he was 11. Alfred had been accepted a year earlier at 10. Arthur was also Alfred's only friend who wasn't there for math or science; instead, he was a writer.

But right then, he didn't want to see even one of his best friends. He turned his head so that Arthur would not see the tears beginning to form, and tried to swallow the lump in his throat. Alfred just wanted to be left alone with his misery and confusion. Fortunately, Arthur seemed to understand, so with just another kind word and concerned look from his brilliant green eyes, he walked away, dragging his boyfriend Francis with him. Alfred had just turned up the aisle to finally walk out the doors himself and go back to his dorm, where his twin and Gilbert hopefully _weren't_, when he felt someone tapping his shoulder.

"Excuse me. I am looking for room 243 in building D, yes? Do you know where that is?" Alfred spun around to see the Ivan the new student staring at him, holding what appeared to be his "schedule" (schedules were kind of a joke at the Academy; they only showed the weekly Sunday meetings and an occasional meeting with the student's Guider or Supervisor- everything else was independent work) and a suitcase. Now that he was closer Alfred could tell that his eyes were most definitely actually purple and it had not been a trick of the light.

Alfred hoped his voice wouldn't tremble as he answered, "Ah… sure dude. You're in the same building as me, only two rooms down. Here, give me your bag and I'll carry it for you." As he heaved the duffle to his shoulder, Alfred had to admit that though he had wanted to be alone only 20 seconds ago, this new boy interested him. He seemed mysterious and fascinating, plus he had to be very intelligent, even in a room full of geniuses, if he was permitted to skip the study year. All the other students, no matter how old or talented, had always completed at least six months of general study.

"You are alright?"

Alfred started, snapping back to reality, then stared at Ivan before realizing he had asked him a question.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry. I just… zoned out for a second, I guess. Um, I'm Alfred, by the way," he said, sticking out his hand for Ivan to shake. Ivan seemed like the kind of person to do that sort of thing, even if Alfred himself usually wasn't. He tried to laugh to lighten the mood, but even his chuckle sounded depressed. Alfred's eyes flicked to Ivan, but he looked away nervously when he noticed the Russian staring at him, his purple eyes intense.

"So, where are you from? I mean, in Russia, obviously I know that you're from Russia. That's what Mr. Köhler said at least, and- so- what are you studying? Or- well- you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, some of the students don't like to talk about it, they think there's too much competition." Alfred said while fiddling nervously with the strap of Ivan's bag. "That doesn't make much sense because we all study different things, like, really different tings. I mean, my brother programs shit and so does Francis, but it's just so different, I guess? I'm not really sure, I study mostly nuclear decay, like with atoms-"

"Alfred." The American snapped his mouth shut and stared at Ivan with wide eyes. The Russian was standing directly in front of him, one massive hand on his shoulder. His eyes were still intense, only this time Alfred felt like he couldn't look away. "I am from Zhigulyovsk, in Russia. I study aerospace engineering, and I am not afraid of competition. Also, I know what is nuclear decay, as well as atoms. Thank you for showing me to my room." Alfred looked around in shock- when did they get all the way to the other side of campus?

"No problem?" Alfred replied hesitantly. A few more seconds passed before he realized that Ivan was holding his hand out for his duffle bag, and that Alfred himself was still clutching onto said bag. "Oh, sorry, I'm not usually this… strange. I'm really sorry, dude." The American winced and looked down at his scuffed shoes, feeling, if it was possible, more depressed than before. He couldn't even talk to the new guy without weirding him out. Now he probably thought Alfred was some kind of freak.

But then Ivan placed his hand on Alfred's shoulder again, this time comforting, instead of commanding as it had been before when he had snapped Alfred out of his lengthy and embarrassing monologue.

"Do not worry; I can tell you are not alright, which is most likely affecting your mood. Thank you again for showing me here." Ivan then turned towards the doors of the building, before hesitating and turning around again. "Also. If it is a friend who has made you so upset, I would recommend new friends."

To Alfred, the other's words sounded just as monotonous and strange as the rest of what he had said: oddly formal and stilted, concealed with a thick accent. Had Alfred known Ivan for more than 10 minutes, he would have heard the concern and interest underlying the Russian's sentences, but he didn't. Instead, he suddenly felt the strong urge to be alone again, so as soon as Ivan had disappeared into the dorms, Alfred turned and wandered off across the quad, his hands shoved deep in his pockets and his mind deep in thought.


End file.
